Automatic feeding device



June 9,1925. 1,541,132A

E. M. FISHER AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l w MINIMUM June 9, 1925, 1,541,132

E. M. FISHER AUTOMATIC FEEDING. DEVICE Filed Nov. 29, 1924 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 9, 1925i.

UNITED STATES ERNEST M. FISHER, on ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

AUTOMATIC FEEDTNG DEVICE.

Application filed November 29, 1924. Serial No. 752,890.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERNEST M. FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Feeding Devices, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to a feed box or lo feeder primarily adapted for use inconnection with fowls and particularly pigeons.

` One important object is to provide a construction wherein the feed cannot be wasted or one kind of feed cannot be ejected and the preferred kind or 4kinds eaten to the exclusion thereof. A

Another aim is to produce a structure wherein the supply of the feed will be solely subject to and in proportion to the quantity actually consumed.

A further object is to afford such a device in which the feed must be obtained through an open bottom cellular structure, preferably having one or more passages associated therewith for the return ofdropped feed to 4the source of supply. j

Additional objects and advantages will be partly pointed out or becomeapparent from the description following talren in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment. 1

In said drawings:

Figure. 1 is a perspective view of the feeder;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, broken away to disclose details, of the feeder, and i Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring specilically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, end walls or standards 10 are provided to restupon a floor or other supporting surface. spanned by relatively low or narrow side members 11 slightly raised above the bases of walls 10 and having a foraminous bottom 12 secured to their under surfaces and to the walls 10. A trough is thus formed between the side members 11 which is adapted to have feed supplied thereto by gravity from a hopper 13 'of any approved construction through an outlet tube or discharge yonto the bottom 12 of the trough, spreading The walls 10 are nozzle x14. The particular hopper illustrated is open at the top and normally closed by a removable cover 15.- vBottom 12 constitutes a sieve forthe feed so that dust may escape while still forming an efficient support for the feed. i

. Intermediate portions of the side walls of the hopper are inclined inwardly-and downwardly as at 16 so as to provide space below them at each side of the feeder through whichthe fowls may obtain the feed.

rlhe feed Vmust be obtained through the :relativelysmall cells 17 of a cellular 'structure generally `designated 18. This structure `1S may be formed in any appropriate way. As a whole said structure 18 isl raised above the bottom 12- or base of the trough and preferablyslightly above the outlet of nozzle 14. lnterlitting transverse partitions 19 interlit with the sides of the nozzle 14 and at their outer ends are connected to rails or side members 20 so as to produce the cellular structure. Side members 20 areconnected to the walls 10 and the cells 17 are open at the bottom.

The side members 11 and k2() are spaced apart so as to provide passages 21 through which vdropped feed-may return by gravity to the supply in the trough and belowy the cellular structure.l Theupper edges of said side members are inclined or bevelled toward said passages as at 22and 23, respecltively.

`Within the hopper 13 longitudinal frame members 24 are provided. Guard rods 0r bars 25 arel suitably spaced apart and located at each side of the feeder so as to deline the spaces through which the fowls may feed. Said-rods enter recesses 26 in side members 11 and pass .through walls 16 and enter recesses in the frame members 24 at 27 as one means of holding them'in place.

ln use, as nozzle 14 is open at the bottom, the feed flows by gravity from hopper 13 thereover beneath the cells 17. The quantity of feed which may thus enter the trough is limited to a level corresponding with the lower end ofthe nozzle. The pigeons or other fowls must reach over side members 11 and 23 in order to obtain the feed. The fowls must dispose their bills in the adjacent cells 17 and they' must eat with their bills inthis relation. Should they' attempt to scatter or throw the feed laterally, it can- 110 not escape because of the walls of the cells, and if they should raise their bills and try to throw'" the feed under 'their breasts, the feed will hit their breasts and thus fall into the passages 21 and thus by gravity return to the main supply of feed beneath the cellular structure. Said passages 21' are relatively narrow so that there is no danger of the fowls feeding therefrom ratherthan through the cellular structure. The rods 25 arepreferably so 'spaced that a single Afowl inaylfe'ed `between each pair thereof and in the arrangement shown have `access to two cells 17 although the number may be varied 'so long as the" cells remain relatively small and insure feeding by the fowls as described. VIp'have found theV lconstruction illustrated and zdescribedto 'be particularly meritorioiis inthe feedingof pigeons, one of whose habits is to eject undesirable grain from a mixture. Such undesired feed or grain cannot be ejected Vbecause it will not be thrown out Vlaterallybecause ofthe cellular 'struct-ure and'cantnot be: thrown under the andv furthermore will "be returned to the :'mainf supply through'the passages'21. lfn this iway' all feed "dispensed form' the hopper must beV eaten, and 'the proper quaneatjen "before more will automatically feed by gravity in' the manner described. ,This feature also enables the owner or fancier't determinethe amount of protein and other food properties which vthe fowl eats. Also hemp may be fed during molting time with assurance as to the quantity eaten.

A Ifhav'e foundthe construction illustrated and described to be particularly =`meritorious, in tthev prevention'v of the pigeons or fowlsfrm foulingthegrain or feeder. The sidesbeing in' a 'straight' line' no filth can into lthex trayI and as the openingv in the sides islimited, 'only the head of the fowl can enter the feeder. It is impossible forhthem to perch Ion side members 11 andiQQ as Awall 16 prevents.

Limitation to` the use of the device in connection with the feeding of pigeons or other fowls is vnot to be inferred as many of its features are capable of moregeneral adaptation, v'and further various changes may be yresorted towithin yits spirit 'and scope. l I claim:

1. A feeder having a feed trough, a structure associated therewithopen at the bottom and beneath' which the feed is supplied and through which thel feed must be obtained, thefeeder having a passageway outwardly ofsaid means through which dropped feed may return by gravity to the feed within'the troughfandy below the said means.

` 'QQ 'A feeder having a feed trough, a structure associated therewith openk at the Vbottom and beneath which the feed is supplied 'by' gravity *and lthrough whichv the feedV must be obtained, and the feeder having a passageway outwardly of the outlet of said means through which feed which is dropped may return by gravity to the feed within the trough and below the said means.

3. A feeder having a feed trough, a cellularstructurcabove the base of the trough spaced from the sides thereof to provide passages, 'a'fe'ed supply hopper having its outlet inwardly of the sides of said structure and relatively close 'to the base of the trough, the cells of said structurebeing open at the bottom and"ar1anged"'so'that `the feed'mustbe reached therethrough, and said passages being arranged to return dropped feed by kgravity to' the feed wit-hin ythe trough andA` below said cells.

11. A feeder for fowls or the like having means to contain feed,`anda vcell vassociated therewith openat the bottom and in which the bill of the fowlmust bedisposed while obtainingtthe feedi r5. 'A feeder lforv fowls or the like having means'to contain feed, a vcellular structure associated 'therewith having its Ecells openv at the bottom and arranged so that the bills ofthel fowls 'must be disposed therein while obtainin'gthe feed, and meansto4 supplyfeed yto saidiirst means below saidstructure.

6. A feeder for fowlsor`the Alike having Va feed trough, a. cellular structure associated therewith, a feedsupply hopperhaving its outlet intermediate opposed rrmarginal edges of said Astructureand adjacent the base of the trough, said cells being openat the bottom and arranged soithat the bills of the fowls must be disposed therein while obtaining thefreed;

' 7. A feeder having a feed trough provided with side'members, a cellular structure asso-4 ciated with the trough and raised with respect to the base thereof', said 'structure bein'g' spacedfrom said sides to provide passages, a feed supply hopper having "its outletinwardlyofthe' sides of said structure and relatively close to the baseV of the trough, sa-id hopper vabove saidstriicture having inwardly anddownwardly extending walls to provide access to the cellsof` said structure, said cellsbeing openv at the bottom and arranged 'so that the feed Ymust be reached therethrough, and said passages being arranged to return dropped Yfeed by gravity t0 the feed within the'ltrough and below said cells.

" 8. A feeder having end walls, relatively low side members joining said. walls and raised above the bases thereof, a foraminous lbottom associated'with said side ineinbrs to provide a trough, a'hopper above said trough supported 'with its outletI relatively close to said foraminous bottom, 'a cellular structure "supported within'y the trough` above said foraminous bottoniV and with its sides in spaced "relation to said side jan members to provide passages, the outlet of and arranged so that feed must be reached said hopper being disposed inwardly and therethrough, and said passages being arat a distance from the sides of said structure, ranged to return dropped feed by gravity 104 the side walls of the hopper above said struct0* the feed Within the trough and below 5 ture extending inwardly and downwardly Sad C8115- to permit access to the feed trough, the cells of said structure being open at the bottom ERNEST M. FISHER. 

